Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 470851,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/470851/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 363,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Today we are reflecting on the Elections Act. Do we want to keep quiet? Maybe we would have needed better qualified MCAs. So, when we lowered the bar in the last Parliament, we did not know what we were taking away from the democratic practice in our county governments. We know that we did not tighten the law sufficiently because a lot of people are today being challenged in court for having fake qualifications courtesy of a loose election law. I, therefore, would like to request colleagues that we allow this Bill to go to the Third Reading. There is also danger if we do not look at this matter critically. There is the provision of the Constitution in Article 4 (2). If we are not very careful, one of these days you might get an extremely popular presidential candidate. What we have noticed is that the party with the most attractive presidential candidate tends to capture the imagination of the highest number of voters. To the extent that that presidential candidate who is overwhelmingly popular can win the presidential vote with such an overwhelming majority that the person who is forming the minority in both Houses does not garner enough votes to have any funding so that at that unfortunate moment, all the funds would 100 per cent be going to that one party. That will be a direct walk into the past where we lifted Kenya from monolithic politics to multiparty democracy. If this happened, we would, therefore, be going against the Constitution of Kenya which in Article 4(2) clearly says that Kenya is a multiparty democracy. With regard to figures, when I thought about that amendment, I had not listened to the public. Persuaded by the public, they told our Committee that they prefer that out of the 95 per cent of the funds to be distributed, 25 per cent be reserved for distribution equally amongst political parties that are represented in the Houses while 70 per cent of the funds be proportionately distributed between political parties with at least two Members of Parliament or 25 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs). That is the improved thinking from Members of the Public. Every time I think about it, I think these people were right. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am also persuaded by the contribution of Sen. Kagwe. He would like us to go slightly further and introduce a clause with the provision of “may” so that we have an option. See a situation whereby, for example, NARC has got only one Senator and this Senator is merely living in this Senate on benevolence of the Jubilee Coalition. If we were to put in a proviso whereby we allow this Senator on a provision of “may” to have an opportunity of either continuing to pursue the agenda of NARC which sponsored him or choose to pursue the agenda of the party or coalition that is extending an olive branch. UDF is in the same mess and as a Member of UDF, because of my patriotism to UDF, you can see how hard I am fighting so that UDF can get some form of funding. These are very practical issues. Let us not kill this Bill. We should let it go ahead so that the great ideas that have been spoken to are considered. As I talk about my party UDF--- The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}